Anyone know if $0.50 a day in 1935(ish) was considered good pay for a maid?

Question

My Grandmother told me that when she lived down south when she was a little girl (around 1935-1940..not sure exactly) they had a maid that got around 50 cents a day to clean clothes and little things around the house. But I'm curious if that was adequate pay for the time period..

Answer 1

It would have been illegal to pay her that little. The minimum wage was raised to $1.00/hour in 1933. Just as it is done today, however, this woman probably was earning a little extra money to help support her family under the table. It is a time honored practice both in the U.S. and Canada. It isn't right, but unfortunately, very common. I know my aunt started working part time as a maid in New Brunswick Canada in 1930 for $2.50 a week. That was considered a decent wage for a half days work, 6 days a week, by people who lived in rural areas. It was probably not the legal minimum wage, but again, this has been happening for the better part of a century now.

Answer 2

Sounds like she was well paid to me. You have to remember that in the city, like Philadelphia, for instance, where things were more expensive, a dip of ice cream was a penny and an ice cream cone was 3 cents. The south was less expensive then as it is now and in smaller towns even less expensive. Also during the Depression, it was extremely difficult to find work. People who had money to pay a maid didn't when the Depression hit. Your grandmother's maid would have been happy to have any job, especially a "nice" one like being a maid. I'm thinking 25 cents a day sounds good.

Answer 3

Definitly in the 40's for 6 cents you caould watch a movie and for an extra nickel get a big popcorn soda pop and candy plus the action figure of the weekly film series main character
50 cents could by you a medium quality steak dinner with money to spare(for lets say frys and soda pop!)
My grandpa told me all this when i was small

Answer 4

It was probably about right for the time and place. During the depression people around here (Long Island) were getting only $1.00 a day, although the depression was at an end then, most people had very little to pay for unskilled labor....That's what they called such a job at that time.

Answer 5

When President F. D. Roosevelt was inaugurated in March 1933, he moved at once to establish a minimum wage of $1.00/hour. My mother worked as a secretary for an advertising agency in Chicago, and she told me later that her pay was raised at once.

Answer 6

Yes my grand fatherworked on a farm for $4 a week

Answer 7

Yes, very good. I'm assuming they included a decent medical and dental plan, food and housing? What about a uniform allowance and vacation/sick days?

Answer 8

I got that